Key Takeaways
- An alternative Premier League table without VAR has emerged, highlighting the significant impact of VAR decisions on team standings after the first seven Gameweeks.
- VAR controversies in recent games, such as those in Arsenal vs Brighton, present differing opinions among fans and pundits on crucial match-changing calls.
- Despite varying fan reactions, the analysis showcases VAR’s influence and how it can significantly sway match outcomes.
With the 2024-25 Premier League season well underway, the role of VAR continues to be a lightning rod for controversy, influencing outcomes and sparking debates among fans and pundits alike. With the season seven games in, questions are already swirling about how different the league table might look without the intervention – or alleged errors – made by the divisive technology.
During the opening weeks of the current campaign, Squawka asked their followers to vote on each gameweek’s most controversial calls. The results form an alternative table showing us which teams’ fans will be cursing VAR (and which will be secretly pleased the Premier League clubs didn’t vote to get rid of it).
Although the PGMOL said that more than 100 errors were corrected by VAR last season, there are already plenty of talking points heading into the second international break of this campaign. Let’s take a closer look at the table:
|
Premier League Table Without VAR ‘Errors’ (As of 08/10/24) |
|||
|
Position |
Club |
Goal Difference |
Points |
|
1. |
Arsenal (+2) |
9 |
17 |
|
2. |
Manchester City |
7 |
17 |
|
3. |
Liverpool (-2) |
10 |
16 |
|
4. |
Chelsea |
8 |
14 |
|
5. |
Aston Villa |
3 |
14 |
|
6. |
Brighton |
3 |
12 |
|
7. |
Fulham (+1) |
2 |
11 |
|
8. |
Tottenham (+1) |
6 |
10 |
|
9. |
Nottingham Forest (+1) |
1 |
10 |
|
10. |
Brentford (+1) |
0 |
10 |
|
11. |
Bournemouth (+2) |
-1 |
10 |
|
12. |
Newcastle United (-5) |
-1 |
10 |
|
13. |
West Ham (-1) |
0 |
8 |
|
14. |
Manchester United |
-3 |
8 |
|
15. |
Leicester City |
-3 |
6 |
|
16. |
Crystal Palace (+2) |
-3 |
5 |
|
17. |
Everton (-1) |
-8 |
5 |
|
18. |
Ipswich Town |
-7 |
4 |
|
19. |
Southampton |
-11 |
1 |
|
20. |
Wolves |
-12 |
1 |
Arsenal Climb to the Top of the Table
The Gunners have been involved in some controversial sending offs this season
While Arsenal have been predicted by a supercomputer to land top spot come the end of the season, Squawka’s research has shown that the Gunners should arguably already be occupying that spot. Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit third, one point off of league leaders Liverpool. However, two red cards while in winning positions may prove to be costly.
The first incident in question saw Declan Rice being shown a second yellow card for disrupting a restart, despite being taken out by Brighton’s Joel Veltman as he attempted to take a quick free-kick. A similar situation occurred not long after, as the North Londoners visited title rivals Manchester City.
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Having turned around a 1-0 deficit to lead 2-1 with just seconds left in the first half, Leandro Trossard was given his marching orders when he cleared the ball after the referee blew his whistle for a City free-kick. Replays showed that the Belgian made contact with the ball less than a second after the foul was called, and the forward later told teammates he was trying to pass the ball in order to spring a counterattack.
The Gunners were moments away from securing a famous, but eventually succumbed to the pressure as John Stones smashed home a late equaliser. The Trossard dismissal, as well as Rice’s, were both deemed to be incorrect decisions by Sqauwka followers.
In taking top spot, it means that the Gunners have knocked Liverpool down to third, with Arne Slot’s men alleged to have benefitted from one decision, that coming when Crystal Palace were controversially denied a penalty when Virgil van Dijk appeared to upend Marc Guehi. Had the penalty been awarded and then converted, the Reds would have dropped two points, tumbling them two places down behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
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Newcastle the Biggest Beneficiaries of VAR
The Magpies have had three decisions go their way
In terms of who VAR has helped the most, the new table shows that there is only one clear winner. That being Newcastle United. Eddie Howe’s men currently sit in seventh with 12 points, although the results of Squawka’s research suggest that they should be much worse off.
The first decision that the Geordies are alleged to have gotten away with came in their most recent clash against Everton. Having fairly one a penalty of their own in the first period, just over 50% of fans believed that they were fortunate to have not been penalised in the second period as Dominic Calvert-Lewin tumbled over after a challenge by Dan Burn. Replays did indicate that the England striker appeared to kick the back of the defender’s leg, rather than vice versa.
Prior to that, VAR once again helped the Magpies walk away with another point, this time in far more dubious circumstances. In the 93rd minute of their battle with Bournemouth, Dango Ouattara had put the ball in the back of the net to secure all three points for the Cherries. However, an intervention from Stockley Park saw the goal ruled out for handball.
The decision was met with despair for anyone sporting red and black, while the man in charge of the team famous for wearing white and black admitted to feeling fortunate, with Howe saying afterwards:
“A welcome surprise because we weren’t appealing, so I’d be interested to see the replays. We had a VAR decision go against us; this one goes for us.”
That same game, VAR rescued Newcastle again, with many believing that midfielder Joelinton should’ve been given his marching orders for pulling down compatriot Neto by the collar to stop a Bournemouth break.
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Other Big Winners and Losers
Crystal Palace could be out of the drop zone
Among the other teams who can feel hard done by is Crystal Palace, who could have found themselves out of the bottom three had it not been for two key decisions that had gone against them. The first of these was the aforementioned penalty against Liverpool, but they were also unlucky not to face ten-men against Manchester United after a reckless Lisandro Martinez challenge.
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The two decisions that went against Bournemouth against Newcastle were enough for them to be two places lower than without VAR, while Fulham, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest and Brentford all would’ve gained a place if decisions hadn’t gone against them.
On the other end of the scale, both West Ham and Everton can count their blessings as alongside Liverpool and Newcastle, they are the two biggest beneficiaries remaining in the division. The Toffees were deemed lucky not to see James Tarkowski sent off, once again against Crystal Palace, while the Hammers also would’ve found themselves dropping down the standings as a result of implications elsewhere.
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